Last Updated on September 6, 2022
The 1942 Dime is also known as The Winged Head dime and the Mercury Dime.
This is due to its unique design and close similarities of Lady Liberty’s portrait to the Roman god Mercury.
This dime possesses a lot of value for coin collectors especially if it is found in uncirculated condition.
The 1942 dime is one of the most produced coins in the history of the American treasury.
Around 300,000,000 of these dimes were minted in all three mints across the US.
How Much Is 1942 Dime Worth?
The 1942 dime in good condition is worth around $1.84 and the value increases with the grade of the coin. The least you can get for this coin is its melt value as the coin is made of silver.
Uncirculated mercury dimes can be sold at a price range of $8 to $35. The uncirculated coins usually have a bright luster and look brand new.
They don’t have any marks or scratches on them.
| Coin Year | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine |
Uncirculated | |
| 1942 | $1.84 | $2.95 | $3.21 | $6 to $35 | |
| 1942/41 | $300 | $700 | $1250 | $2,000 to $20,000 | |
| 1942 D | $1.84 | $2.95 | $3.21 | $6 to $35 | |
| 1942 S | $1.84 | $2.95 | $3.21 | $8 to $40 | |
Looking for the value of other coins from 1942? Read more of our guides:
The Mintage of the 1942 Mercury Dime
The mintmarks on the dimes are also considered by coin collectors. The Philadelphia mintage with no mint mark produced over 205,000,000 dimes.
Secondly, the San Francisco mint produced 49,300,000 dimes with S mintmark on the reverse side. Thirdly, 60,740,000 mercury dimes were struck in Denver with a D mintmark.
Their worth ranges from 1.84$ to 35$ based on their grade. Proof series with no mintmark is rare because of its limited edition of 22,329 dimes from Philadelphia. Their value can even go up to $180 or over depending on their condition especially if they are graded PR-65 or above.
The Design of the 1942 Dime
The famous sculptor Adolph A. Weinman got the honor of designing the 1942 dime with a depiction of Miss Liberty’s bust with a beautifully engraved winged-cap on, facing left.
On the top of the coin, you can see the words “Liberty” engraved in the form of an arch. There is fasces with olive leaves around it on the reverse side of the coin.
1942 Mercury Dime with A “W” Mark
Some 1942 mercury dimes have a W mark on the front of the coin. People who are new to coin collecting might think that this coin was minted at The West Point mint in New York however what they don’t know is that the US treasury did not put a W mintmark on any of their coins in the 1940s.
The first ever W mintmark started appearing on US coins in 1984.
In reality there is not “W” on the 1942 mercury dime. What most people see is a faded version of the coin where the initials of the designer Adolph Weinman have faded away. And instead of seeing AW, people can only see the W.
1942/41 Mercury Dime Error Value
Coins with errors are more valuable than other types of coins however there are very few errors that can turn a simple coin into a holy grail of coin collections. The 1932 dime has an overdate error on some of its coins minted at two of the major mints i.e., Philadelphia and Denver.
The 42 from 1942 was minted on a planchet of 1941 dime. This why there is a double die error on the date. The overdate error is quite prominent on some of the coins especially the ones that were minted at the Philadelphia Mint.
The 1 from 1941 can be clearly seen on the 1942 coins. This prominent error is the reason these coins go for thousands of dollars.
Is There a Difference Between the Value Of 1942 Dime with Overdate Errors Produced at Different Mints?
As the error is more prominent on the coins minted at the Philadelphia mint, they tend to be more valuable than the ones that were minted at the Denver Mint. If you find one from the Philadelphia mint with a grade of MS65, then you will have no trouble getting over $17,000 for it.
However, a 1942 dime from the Denver Mint with the same error and the same MS65 grade can be valued at around $10,500. Of course, the values can increase based on the grade of the coin.
If you find one that has a grade higher than MS65 then the value can easily go north of $20,000.
